Sheet metal radiator



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1929 $vmewoz TEEN/V577.

G Mm 1 5% J 4 2 Gbtom Feb. 21, 1933. 1, BENNETT 1,898,028

SHEET METAL RADIATOR Filed June 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gvwvntoz [kw/v0 TEEN/V577. 35 alien W410 Feb. 21, 1933. 1. T. BENNETT SHEET METAL RADIATOR IS Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 20, 1929 avwewioz Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PAT NT. OFFICE IRVING '1'. 3mm, 01' BROOKLYN, iN'EW YOBK, ASSIGIOB, BY mm ASSIGNMENTS,

TO KETBOPOIJTAN ENGG COMPANY, 01' BROOKLYN, mew YORK, A. COB- IPORLTION OF NEW YORK Sm! METAL RADIATOR Application fled lane 20, me. Serial Io. 872,288.

This invention relates to sheet metal radiators and their methods of construction.

Heretofore in constructing sheet metal radiators of the type shown in Murray application, Serial No. 338,677 filed February 7, 1929, for example, for which type the methods of construction of my invention are particularly adapted, atube of copper is used for containing the steam or other heating fluid in order to obtain a high heat conductivity and to avoid corrosion. On this tube are secured copper sheets suitably bent to form vanes of high conductivity and to form air channels through which air may. circulate in contact with the heat conducting yanes. To enable the copper sheets to be bent to the desired shape without breaking, a hot or cold rolled sheet of pure copper as, for example, of electrolytic copper, is required. The necessity for using sheets or plates of this quality of copper adds considerably to the cost of the radiator.

An object of my invention is to provide a radiator structure and method of construction for radiators of the above type that will enable less costly materialsto be used with out sacrificing the conductivity and heat distributing properties and other desirable characteristics attained by the use of sheet copper.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a simple and effective means for forming a radiator by metallic sheet material'and to provide a method in which a radiator of any desired thickness of heat conducting be easily formed from relatively walls may thin metal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises a structure and method described in the following specification and claims. The various features of the invention are "illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- 7 Fig. 1 is a plan view or upper end view of a Murray type of radiator formed in accordance with my invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a detail end view of a Murray type of radiator having vanes formed of relatively thin poorly conductingmetal;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of the in the subsequent o radiator shown in Fig. 2 having the thickness and heat conducting capacity increased in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4 is a section of a ortion of the radiator taken line 4-4 of ig. 3; I

Fig. 5 is across-section of a portion of a vane after the thickness has been built up in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of an electrolytic apparatus for building up the thickness and heat conductivity of the 'radiator vanes;

Figs. 7 8 and 9, 10, 11 and 12 and 13, 14 and 15, are plan, elevation and sectional views of modified form of radiators formed in accordance with my invention.

' 'Referringmore particularly to Figs. 1 to '6 of the accompanying drawings,the radiator comprises a tube or number 'of tubes 20 for containing the heat medium and provided with suitable unions or couplings 21 and 22 at their ends. On opposite sides of the tube 20 are fastened corrugated sheets 23 and 24 of thin sheet metal which may be of iron, .steel, brass orany other suitable .inetal: The sheets 23 and 24 are to serve as a support or skeleton for de its of cop- 'per and may, thereore, be ma e of the thinnest metal that the handling ens of "the process The sheets 23 an 24 aresoeon'ugated as to. form' a number of internal passages 25 separated. by external channels 26. The

metal sheets at the contacting or inner parts of the groove 26 are curved as shown at 27 and 28 of Fig. 4 to encircle the tube 20.

The encircling portions 27nd .28 of the metal sheets 23 and 24 .are then tightly clamped on the tubes 20 b means of sem1- cylindrical straps 29 an 30 diametrically opgosed flanges 31 and32 respectively, welde to each other through the and 24. There is thus formed a radiator having very thin vanes of very low and inefiective heat conducting and distributing capacity.

11 these vanes and all exterior surfaces of the radiator there is: then de osited a relatively thick layer ofecopper su cient to give the vanes the required heat conducting and distributing property. This layer of copper may be applied in any suitable manner. In the pre erred form of construction it is applied electrolytically by placing the entire radiator in an electrolytic bath 34 and connecting it through a conductor 35 to the negative poles of a gencrator36. The positive poles are connected through wires 37 and 38 to copper anodes 39 and 40 respectively, on opposite sides of the radiator,

The bath is of any suitable copper solution, such as copper sulphate, capable of forming a sufiiciently dense adherent deposit of copper on the radiator. For this purpose the refined copper anodes commonly used for the production of electrolytic copper may be employed. In this manner the supporting sheets 23 and 24 of brass, iron or steel, may be built up to any desired thickness in which the main part of the metal will be a highly conducting copper. .For example, a supporting sheet of a thickness ve-one-thousandths of an inch might be built up to a final thickness of one-eighth or one-quarter of an inch, or more; the bulk of the thickness being of copper for which the relatively inexpensive anode copper may be employed.

The deposit of copper may take place on the surface of the vane nearest the anodes or by suitably selecting the dimensions of the radiator and using an electrolyte of sufiicient throwing power; the copper may be deposited on both sides of the foundation sheet of metal. In the latter case a crosssection of the built up metal would be as shown in Fig. 5 with the inner or foundation sheet 23 or 24 covered on each side with 2.2 relatively thick deposit of copper 41 and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show the heat containing tubeformed of two metal sheets 43 and 44 corrugated to form channels 45 when placed face to face and soldered on contacting surfaces 46. The heat medium containing channels 45 are connected at opposite ends of i the radiator to, inlets and outlets 47 and 48.

'On the outer surface of the sheets 43 and 44 are soldered heat radiating vanes 47' of thin sheet iron or brass, or other relatively inexpensive metal.

Upon the structure thus formed, a layer or deposit of copper is deposited electrolytically by making the radiator structure a cathode, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show a single heat conveying tube 48 of elliptical cross-section on which are mounted thin sheet metal vanes 49 to whichthe copper is later deposited to form the heat conducting metal.

In Figs. 13, 14 and 15 a single U-shaped tube 50 is used on which are threaded and secured spaced plates 51 of thin non-conducting metal, and the entire structure then built up and thickened by the electrolytic deposition of copper.

Various other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

1. A radiator of the tvoe described which comprises a tubular heat containing element and sheet metal vanes on said element for conducting heat outwardly therefrom, said vanes being formed of a thin backing of relatively poorly conducting metal and a relatively thicker layer of metal of high conductivity.

2. A radiator of the type described which comprises a tubular heat containing element and sheet metal vanes on said element for conducting heat outwardly therefrom, said vanes being formed of a thin backing of relatively poorly conducting metal and a relatively thicker copper layer.

3. A radiator of the type described which comprises a tubular heat containing element and sheet metal vanes on said element for conducting heat outwardly therefrom, said vanes being formed of a thin backing of relatively poorly conducting metal and a relatively thicker deposit of metal of high conductivity.

4. A radiator of the type described which comprises a tubular conduit for heating medium, a pair of metallic sheets on opposite sides of said tube bent to form corrugations transverse to the length of said tubes and rounded at its inner ridges to fit said conduit and a deposit of copper on the exposed surfaces of said sheets.

5. A radiator of the type described which comprises a tubular conduit for heating medium, a pair of metallic sheets on opposite sides of said tube of relatively low heat conductivity bent to form corrugations transverse to the length of said tubes and rounded at its inner ridges to fit said conduit and a deposit of metal of relatively high heat conductivity on the exposed surfaces of said sheets.

6. A method of forming sheet metal radiators which comprises formin vanes of thin sheet metal of low heat con uctivity on a heat containing passage and then forming a relatively thick layer of highly conductive metal on said vanes.

7. A method of forming sheet metal radiators which comprises formin vanes of thin sheet metal of low heat con uctivity on a heat containing passage and then forming a relatively thick deposit of highly conductive metal on said vanes.

8. A method of forming sheet metal radiators which comprises formin vanes of thin sheet metal of low heat coniiuctivity on a heat containing passage and then forming a relatively thick layer of copper on said vanes.

9. A method of forming sheet metal radiators which comprises formin vanes of thin sheet metal of low heat con uctivity on a heat containing passage and electrol icall 6 depositing a re atively thick layer a big conductive metal on said vanes,

10. A method of forming sheet metal radia ators which comprises formin vanes of thin sheet metal of low heat con uctivity on a 10 heat containin passage and electrolytically depositing a re atively thick layer of copper on said vanes.

11. A heat radiating vane for a tubular heating element, said vane comprisin a thin backing of relatively oorly con ucting metal having surfaces to t saidheatin element, and having a relatively thicker ayer of metal of high conductivity on said backin 12. fieat radiating vanes for a heatin element which comprises a thin backing o relatively poorly conductin metal having surfaces to fit said heatin e ement and surfaces extendin from sai heatin element and a relative y thicker layer 0 metal of high conductivity on said backing, the thickness of said layer decreasing at increasing distances from said heating element.

13. Heat radiating vanes for a heating 10 element, said vanes com risin a thin backing having surfaces to t sai heating element and surfaces extending therefrom, and a relatively thicker layer of a deposited metal of high conductivity on said backing.

36 14."A method of formlng heat radiating vanes for radiators which comprises shaping a thin metal backing to form surfaces to fit a heating element and surfaces extending therefrom, and depositing a layer of a more 40 highly heat conducting metal on the exposed surfaces of said vanes.

15. A method of forming heat radiating vanes for radiators which comprises shaping a thin metal backing to form surfaces to fit a heating element and surfaces extending therefrom, and electrolytically depositing a layer of a more highly heat conducting metal on the exposed surfaces of said vanes.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. I

IRVING r. BENNETT. 

